Se pueden pasar cuatro días desde el compacto centro de Wellington hasta la región vinícola de Wairarapa y la costa salvaje de Cape Palliser. Las distancias son moderadas, pero el viento y la carretera de Remutaka deciden lo relajados que se sienten.
Cruzar la Cordillera Remutaka
Salga de Wellington después del pico de cercanías y tome la autopista estatal 2 hacia Featherston. El fuerte viento, la lluvia y el tráfico pueden hacer que el cruce sea agotador en una caravana de paredes altas, así que reduce la velocidad o retrasa el paso en lugar de luchar contra el vehículo.
Martinborough y Greytown son bases prácticas con comida, sitios con electricidad y recorridos locales cortos. Si el vino es parte del día, camine, ande en bicicleta con cuidado o utilice un recorrido en lugar de mover el vehículo.
Día del Cabo Palliser
La carretera que pasa por el lago Ferry se estrecha y pasa cerca del mar antes del cabo Palliser. Verifique el oleaje, el viento y las condiciones recientes de la carretera, luego deje suficiente luz natural para el regreso.
Manténgase alejado de los lobos marinos y nunca bloquee la carretera o el acceso de barcos alrededor de Ngawi. Las escaleras del faro son empinadas y la costa ofrece poco refugio cuando llega el sur.
Regreso por los pueblos
Utilice la última mañana para visitar los pueblos más pequeños de Wairarapa o dar un paseo por los humedales, luego cruce la cordillera antes de que se combinen la fatiga y el tráfico nocturno.
Un parque de vacaciones en el área de Wellington puede ser la noche más inteligente antes de un ferry. Proporciona lavandería, potencia y una salida predecible sin añadir un problema de aparcamiento en el centro de la ciudad.
The Rimutaka Hill Road sets the tone
The road between Upper Hutt and Featherston climbs steeply with tight corners and is exposed to the wind that Wellington is known for. It is fine in a car and demands real attention in a campervan or with a trailer, particularly in a northerly.
Check the road status before crossing, because it closes to high-sided vehicles in strong wind and occasionally altogether. The alternative routes are long, so a closure changes the whole day rather than adding twenty minutes.
Cape Palliser is the best day on the loop
The drive out past Ngawi to the lighthouse takes you along an exposed coast lined with bulldozers used to launch fishing boats, past the largest fur seal colony on the North Island, to 250 steps up to the lighthouse. It feels considerably more remote than its distance from Wellington.
Keep well back from the seals, particularly between pups and the water, and never get between an animal and its escape route to the sea. They move faster than they look and will defend the space.
Martinborough works on a bicycle
The wineries sit in a compact grid within easy riding distance of the village square, which makes cycling between them the standard and sensible way to do a tasting day. Bike hire is available in the village and removes the drink-driving question entirely.
Book a table for lunch somewhere in advance on a weekend, because the village is small and fills. Most cellar doors charge a tasting fee that is credited against a purchase.
Wellington itself needs a plan for the vehicle
Parking a campervan in central Wellington is difficult and expensive, and the height restrictions catch people out in the central car parks. Base yourself in the Hutt Valley or at a coastal campground and use the train or bus into the city.
Te Papa is free and genuinely world class, and the cable car and Zealandia are both worth a half day. None of that requires the van to be anywhere near the centre.
Putangirua Pinnacles and the coast road
The Pinnacles are a badlands formation of eroded gravel spires reached by a walk up a streambed, and they were used as the Paths of the Dead in the film trilogy. The valley route is a scramble over loose rock; the ridge track above gives the overview and takes longer.
The road out to Cape Palliser beyond the Pinnacles is unsealed in places and can be affected by slips and by the sea in a big swell. Check conditions before committing, particularly in a large vehicle, because turning around is difficult.
Ngawi, the fishing village with a line of bulldozers on the beach, is the most photographed part of this coast and a good place to stop. There are no services beyond it, so fuel and food come from Martinborough or Featherston.
Zealandia and the city wildlife
Zealandia is a fenced urban sanctuary where kaka, takahe, tuatara and tui are common and visible, and the night tour offers a realistic chance of seeing kiwi close to the city centre.
It books out, particularly the night tour, and it is a much better wildlife experience than most people expect from something inside a capital city.
Lugares a lo largo del camino
Llévalo a la carretera
Guarda las paradas. Planifica todo el viaje.
Cree una ruta ordenada a partir de lugares guardados, calcule la distancia y mantenga adjuntas fechas, notas y tareas pendientes.